Archive for July, 2011

PRESS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 15, 2011 (Friday)PGPF’s HUMANITARIAN AID CARGO ARRIVED SAFELY IN GAZA.Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) is relieved and happy to announce thatthe humanitarian aid cargo arrived safely in Gaza on Tuesday July 12, 2011. Thecargo of UPVC sewage pipes and joints weighing approximately 32 tonnes wasunloaded from the Spirit of Rachel Corrie (the MV Finch) ship to 9 trucks (7 truckscarrying sewage pipes and 2 trucks carrying joint components) on Wednesday July6, 2011. The convoy of trucks left El Arish Port on Monday July 10, 2011 and wasescorted by 2 Egyptian Army Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) to El Ouja at theIsraeli border. The cargo was then transferred to other trailers sponsored by thePalestinians Authority and accompanied by the Palestinian Red Crescent, it hasarrived safely in Gaza via Karem Shalom.The Spirit of Rachel Corrie cargo ship left the Port of Piraeus, Greece on May 11carrying UPVC (plastic) sewage pipes and joints to help restore the 7.5 kilometressewerage system devastated during ‘Operation Cast Lead’ bombings by theIsraelis on Gaza (27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009). On board the ship wereanti-war activists and journalists, consisting of 7 Malaysians, 2 Irish, 2 Indians and1 Canadian.On 16 May, the cargo ship was anchored off El Arish Port where it remained for 7weeks waiting for permission to dock. The vessel was finally allowed to berth atthe El-Arish Port on Tuesday July 5, 2011 for the unloading of the UPVC pipes toGaza. The impasse ended after Perdana Global Peace Foundation President, TunDr Mahathir Mohamad met the Prime Minister of Egypt, Dr. Essam Sharaf on June29 in Cairo.PGPF records with sincere gratitude the initiative taken by Dr Essam Sharaf , thePrime Minister of Egypt in enabling the cargo of sewage pipes to be delivereddirectly to the people of Gaza.PGPF is especially thankful to the Egyptian authorities, the Palestinian Authorityand the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for making thishumanitarian aid mission possible.PGPF would like to convey our deepest appreciation to the Ministry of ForeignAffairs Malaysia and especially the Malaysian Embassies in Egypt and Jordan fortheir assistance and cooperation throughout the ordeal. Our special thanks to allinvolved especially the foreign activists, crew and passengers of the Spirit ofRachel Corrie Mission. This humanitarian initiative is sponsored by the PerdanaGlobal Peace Foundation (PGPF). This mission fulfils the wishes of Malaysiandonors and NGOs who had generously contributed towards this humanitarian aidmission.

PRESS RELEASE

July 6, 2011 (Wednesday)

I am very glad to receive news today that after seven weeks, our ship, the Spirit of Rachel Corrie (MV Finch) have been allowed to berth at the El Arish port in Egypt.

Following that, I was informed by members of our Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF) who are in El Arish to oversee the operation, that we have unloaded the PVC pipes, weighing some 32 tonnes onto seven trucks and would be sent to Gaza immediately.

I wish to express my gratitude to the Egyptian Prime Minister Dr Essam Sharaf whom I met during my trip to Cairo last week for helping to expedite the whole process.

It is my fervent hope that the new Egyptian Government will continue to support our cause in extending assistance to Palestinians especially in Gaza who have been placed under illegal siege by the Tel Aviv regime since 2007.

On our part, we will continue to be committed in opposing and challenging the siege that is nothing less than an act of genocide by the Israeli regime on the whole population of Palestinians in Gaza.

Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

President

Perdana Global Peace Foundation

About PGPF

The Perdana Global Peace Foundation (PGPF), formerly Perdana Global Peace Organisation (PGPO), is a first but resolute step in the arduous journey towards global peace, moves towards the single goal of putting an end to war. Its founder, YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, envisages “a serious, active and sustained struggle against war and for peace”. Sharing and supporting this agenda are world-prominent professionals, intellectuals, authors, statesmen – all passionate advocates of international peace. Together, they have signed the Kuala Lumpur Initiative to Criminalise War.

“The Palestinian struggle is nothing more than a struggle for justice, to which they, as much as everyone else, have a right.” Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, President of PGPF.

Come along to hear from participants from the sabotaged Irish ship to Gaza, and to discuss the way forward for building solidarity with the Palestinian people and their struggle for human, democratic and national rights.

Despite being thusfar unable to sail to Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla movement has succeeded in mobilising genuinely popular international support to challenge the conspiracy of silence on the occupation of Palestine and blockade of Gaza by Israel, which is overtly and tacitly enforced by some of the most powerful governments in the world.

In Ireland, we have succeeded in transforming the terms of public debate about the occupation of Palestine, so that whereas before the flotilla’s departure many people either weren’t aware of the issue or accepted uncritically the official narrative of events propounded by the government of Israel’s propaganda machine, now increasing number of people are aware of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, its roots in the Israeli occupation of Palestine and maritime blockade, and the mendacious and violent lengths to which the Israeli government and its complicit allies will go to stamp out peaceful opposition to it.

Do the Israeli territorial waters reach up to the port of Piraeus /Keratsini?

An unprecedented statement of the Greek Ministry of Protection of Citizen prohibited today the
departure of all boats that are found in Greek harbours and which participate in the international
mission of solidarity for Gaza. The minister, Mr Papoutsis, with no viable technical, procedural
or legal reason, prohibited the departure of boats whether flying Greek or foreign flags, who were
intending to sail to Gaza.

The Israeli’s multileveled effort of cancellation of this international mission, that has been
undertaken for many months, found a fervent supporter in the Greek government. After the
sabotage of 2 boats in the preceding days, that did not suffice to cancel the mission, the subservient
and willing Greek government undertook and executes the dirty work that would otherwise have
been carried out by the Israeli naval forces in the waters of the sea. Aligned completely with the
Israeli orders, they did not hesitate to send ships with Greek commandos in a Greek harbour and,
with the threat of arms forced a passenger boat of the mission that had only just left the Perama/
Piraeus port, to return to Piraeus/Keratsini port. When last year, the Greek Prime Minister declared
impudently that “we have lost a part of our national sovereignty” we could not imagine that she
meant that the Israeli territorial waters reach up to Keratsini.
Those, who just the day before yesterday, willingly ceded the public fortune of the country to the
usurers, today did not hesitate to sell out the traditionally friendly attitude of the Greek society in
solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

We, from our side, want to stress that our intention and our determination to reach the besieged
Gaza is not weakened, on the contrary, it strengthens. The coordinated efforts of Israeli and Greek
government do not scare us, on the contrary, these efforts confirm that they
fear us. They fear the friendship of populations, the international solidarity, the humanitarian
sensitivity, our refusal to accept the theft of basic rights of Palestinians and our common fight for
dignity and justice.

The US boat, The “Audacity of Hope” set sail yesterday for Gaza. Within minutes it was surrounded by heavily armed Greek commandos, who eventually boarded the ship forcing it to immediately turn back to port.

At the same time the Canadian boat the “Tahrir” was being boarded and their paperwork confiscated. Additionally all other boats had armed Greek police and Coast Guard personnel guarding the ships to keep them from leaving port.

The Greek Announcement on the Flotilla can be read below. It is now clear that the siege on Gaza extends to Greece and its islands.

Armed Greek Commandos board American ship Prohibition of the departure of ships with Greek and foreign flags from Greek ports to the maritime area of Gaza today Pursuant to a decision by the Minister of Citizen Protection Mr. C. Papoutsis, the departure of ships with Greek and foreign flags from Greek ports to the maritime area of Gaza has been prohibited today.

By orders of the Hellenic Coast Guard Head Quarters to all local Hellenic Coast Guard Authorities, all appropriate measures are taken for the implementation of the said decision

. As it is known, the Hellenic Coast Guard local Authorities have already been instructed to submit to ships Masters of ships of any flag the relevant notice to mariners that designates the area of maritime blockade by Israel. More specifically, for ships flying the Greek flag, relevant entries shall be made in the ships logbook together with the reception of the above mentioned notice to mariners as well as with the communication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated 22 June 2011.

Furthermore, the broader maritime area of eastern Mediterranean will be continuously monitored by electronic means for tracking, where applicable, the movements of the ships allegedly participating in such campaign.

Finally, police controls of passengers and crews are conducted while there is cooperation with local police and customs Authorities for rigorous controls on issues of their competence.